- Trump continues whining at Pirro to go back to pretending his Reflecting Pool fiasco was caused by “vandalism”
Source: The Hill
“President Trump on Saturday posted photos of alleged vandalism to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool amid a push for U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro to revisit a recent decision to drop charges related to the pool. Late Saturday, the president posted two photos of what appeared to be graffiti and some peeling of the coating of the pool. Both photos were labeled with the word ‘Vandalism.’ Trump is pushing for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to backtrack on its move to drop criminal charges against people accused of damaging the site. The president pressed for Pirro to ‘re-visit her hastily made decision’ on Friday. Pirro’s office has stated contractors who undertook renovation efforts on the pool were behind the damage.” (08/09/26)
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6019003-trump-lincoln-memorial-vandalism/
- Suspected crime boss Daniel Kinahan returning to Ireland in high-security operation
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“The Irish government jet carrying suspected crime boss Daniel Kinahan has departed Dubai for Dublin. The 49-year-old was arrested in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in April and is being extradited to the Republic of Ireland to face a charge of directing a criminal organisation. Kinahan will be immediately charged upon his arrival in Dublin and then brought by Gardaí (Irish police) to appear before the the non-jury, three judge Special Criminal Court on Sunday evening. A large-scale security operation is in place. Ahead of the extradition the Irish Prison Service bought a bulletproof and bombproof van which can be used to escort prisoners who are considered high-risk. … Daniel Kinahan’s lawyer previously told BBC Panorama that he has no criminal record or convictions and allegations about him being a crime boss are false and have no evidential basis.” (08/09/26)
- Typhoon Dolphin hits China’s east coast, over 1 million evacuated
Source: NBC News
Typhoon Dolphin, the most powerful tropical cyclone to hit China this year, made landfall on the country’s eastern coast on Sunday, bringing torrential rain and strong winds and triggering warnings of flooding and landslides. The typhoon has already swept through Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture, injuring six people and cutting power to more than 50,000 buildings. … Transport was widely disrupted across the east of the country and more than 1 million people were evacuated from their homes.” (08/09/26)
- Controversial Bitcoin fork BIP-110 mines two blocks, then stops
Source: CoinDesk
“A new, minority chain created when BIP-110 supporters split from Bitcoin on Saturday has produced just two blocks roughly eight hours after going live, with no sign that any miner intends to keep it moving. … BIP-110, short for Bitcoin Improvement Proposal-110, is a move to stop people storing pictures, text and other non-financial data inside bitcoin transactions for a year. Supporters say the practice can clog the network with material that has nothing to do with payments and pushes up costs for people actually sending money. Opponents argue that anyone paying the transaction fee has bought the right to use the space however they like, and that miners and node operators should not be deciding which transactions count as legitimate. … Only 2.53% of blocks signaled for BIP-110 over the past two weeks, against the 55% needed to activate it without a split.” (08/09/26)
- Yemen: Houthis claim responsibility for attack on Saudi oil refinery
Source: The Guardian [UK]
“Yemen’s Tehran-aligned Houthis have claimed responsibility for an attack on a refinery in Saudi Arabia, two days after the kingdom signed a defence pact with Turkey and Pakistan in response to growing regional instability caused by the US-Israel war on Iran. The attack early on Sunday came after Iran issued tough new demands to reopen the strait of Hormuz, and the United Arab Emirates said one of its ships had been targeted by an Iranian missile, as a deal to open the strategic waterway remained out of reach. … With Iran and the US still arguing over the parameters for peace, the Houthis last month declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, citing what they said was a Saudi siege on them, an allegation Riyadh denies.” (08/09/26)
- Burger King overtakes Wendy’s as second-largest US burger chain
Source: CNBC
“Burger King has overtaken Wendy’s as the second-largest burger chain in the U.S. by systemwide sales, retaking its crown six years after losing it to the rival chain. The change in positions follows the two companies’ diverging results over the past two years. Wendy’s has reported shrinking U.S. same-store sales for six straight quarters. Its domestic same-store sales slipped 7% in its latest quarter, the company reported on Friday. Meanwhile, Burger King has been embarking on a turnaround and has seen its domestic same-store sales rise over the past five quarters; the Restaurant Brands International chain on Thursday reported U.S. same-store sales growth of 8.5% for its second quarter. McDonald’s holds onto its spot as the number one burger chain, with a significant lead.” (08/07/26)
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/07/burger-king-wendys-hamburger-restaurants.html
- UK: Plan to limit “vertical drinking” decried by pub landlords and
Source: ABC News
“A proposal to limit ‘vertical drinking,’ a bureaucratic euphemism for having a pint while standing, has turned into a political headache for one local government council in London. Politicians from Prime Minister Andy Burnham to London Mayor Sadiq Khan have piled in to decry the idea from Westminster City Council, which is responsible for licensing pubs and restaurants in the West End, a nightlife hub popular with tourists and locals. A feature of many of those pubs is the crowd of drinkers who mill around sharing drinks with friends, often spilling out into the street on warm spring and summer evenings. … Council leader Paul Swaddle issued a press release stressing that the proposal was part of a draft policy that is still open for public comment.” (08/07/26)
- NY: Captain hit with slew of charges after boat capsized near Liberty Island, killing two, including infant
Source: New York Post
“The captain of the boat that capsized in New York Harbor late Saturday — killing a baby and a 27-year-old woman — was hit with more than a dozen charges for driving it while dangerously overloaded, according to sources. The operator, who has not been publicly identified, faces 13 charges of reckless endangerment after the motorboat he was steering flipped over off the coast of Liberty Island just before 10:30 p.m. Saturday. The vessel, a 22-foot bowrider motorboat, was overloaded with 14 people on board, NYPD sources told The Post. Two passengers are confirmed to have died, including a 5-month-old baby and a 27-year-old woman. Neither has been identified pending family notification, the NYPD said.” (08/09/26)
- Myanmar: Junta rebuffs Asean call to free Aung San Suu Kyi, questions need for envoy
Source: South China Morning Post [Hong Kong]
“Myanmar’s military-backed government has rejected the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ renewed call for the unconditional release of detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi and dismissed the need for the organisation’s special envoy on Myanmar, according to the foreign affairs ministry. … In an apparent effort to placate critics, the government allowed a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit 81-year-old Suu Kyi last week, the first known contact with an outside international independent humanitarian organisation since her detention five years ago. Suu Kyi is serving her sentence under house arrest at an undisclosed location in the capital Naypyidaw, on charges that her supporters and rights groups have said are politically motivated.” (08/09/26)
- Ancient Roman shipwreck discovered off Sicily coast
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“Italian divers have discovered an ancient Roman shipwreck off the coast of Sicily, believed to be more than 2,000 years old. The vessel was found piled high with hundreds of well-preserved containers, which were used to transport goods such as wine and olive oil. Italy’s Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli hailed the wreck as ‘one of the most important underwater archaeological discoveries of recent years’. Specialist police divers found the ship around 46m (150ft) deep, after a tip-off from fishermen. The wreckage is 21m (69ft) long and 6m (20ft) wide, according to reports in local media. The culture ministry says it dates from the second or 1st Century BC. … Officials say safety measures will be taken to safeguard it while it undergoes investigation, as experts work to determine the nature of the wreck and learn more about its cargo.” (08/09/26)
- Israeli regime rejects Trump’s plan to disarm Hamas
Source: New York Times
“The Israeli government has rejected a 15-point plan backed by the Trump administration aimed at disarming the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday. President Trump announced the agreement between his Board of Peace and Hamas late last month, calling it a major breakthrough. Mr. Netanyahu’s office had expressed reservations, saying that the framework did ‘not reflect Israel’s positions,’ but stopped short of outright rejecting it. The U.S.-backed proposal envisions a phased process in which Hamas would hand over its weapons to a new Palestinian administration in Gaza in stages. In exchange, Israel would gradually withdraw from the more than half of Gaza that it still controls. On Sunday, Mr. Netanyahu openly dismissed the plan, saying that Israeli forces ‘would not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is disarmed.'” (08/09/26)
- LA: Beachgoers warned after deadly “flesh-eating” bacteria kills five
Source: Fox News
“A potentially deadly ‘flesh-eating’ bacteria has killed five people in Louisiana this year, a sharp rise from the state’s typical death toll. Health officials are warning beachgoers to take extra precautions before heading into the water. Vibrio vulnificus is part of a wider group of Vibrio bacteria. Found primarily in warm, coastal waters, it can cause serious, potentially life-threatening infections when contaminated seawater enters an open wound, according to the CDC. Infections can also occur when someone eats raw or undercooked shellfish, especially oysters. The Louisiana Department of Health has reported nine cases and five deaths so far this year. All nine cases were linked to people entering seawater with open wounds, and all of the infected patients had existing medical conditions, officials said.” (08/07/26)
https://www.foxnews.com/health/beachgoers-warned-deadly-flesh-eating-bacteria-kills-5-southern-state
- US Senate passes stopgap to close “shutdown theater” show until after midterms
Source: Axios
“The Senate passed a stopgap spending bill early Saturday that would keep the government funded through Dec. 11, moving Washington closer to avoiding another shutdown before the November midterms. The bipartisan 90-6 vote would push the next government funding deadline past Election Day while offering some checks on the Trump administration. The measure, which now goes to the House, generally maintains funding levels after the fiscal year ends Sept. 30, with a few negotiated exceptions.” (08/08/26)
https://www.axios.com/2026/08/08/senate-government-funding-shutdown-stopgap
- Diarrhea-causing disease hits double average cases in California
Source: SFGate
“Reported cases of the parasitic disease cyclosporiasis are on the rise in California, with a total of 215 cases in 2026 so far — more than double the yearly average of 106. The increase in cases comes amid a massive nationwide outbreak of cyclosporiasis, which causes watery and explosive diarrhea along with nausea and weight loss. Currently, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reported 6,358 confirmed cases of the parasitic disease across 15 states, believed to be linked to iceberg lettuce sold by Taylor Farms. In addition to those cases, multiple smaller cyclospora outbreaks without a known source have been reported by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In total, there are 10,468 laboratory-verified cyclospora cases in the U.S., along with another 12,255 cases under investigation.” (08/07/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/california-cyclospora-rising-cases-22379221.php
- The Normalcy of American Wars
Source: Antiwar.com
by Andrew P Napolitano“For much of American history, presidents have steadily accumulated the power to wage war while Congress has gradually surrendered the constitutional authority that the Framers explicitly entrusted to it. This transformation has weakened constitutional checks and balances, expanded executive power beyond its constitutional limits, claimed millions of lives, cost trillions of dollars, and repeatedly drawn the United States into conflicts that had little or nothing to do with defending America. The Constitution is remarkably clear on the question of war. Article I grants Congress — not the president — the power to declare war. The president, under Article II, wages war, but only after Congress has authorized it.” (08/07/26)
https://original.antiwar.com/andrew-p-napolitano/2026/08/06/the-normalcy-of-american-wars
- Attack of the $20 Burrito!
Source: Garrison Center
by Thomas L Knapp“Yes, things cost more than they used to. That’s always the case, but it’s been MORE the case over the last few years. While there are various reasons for that, the biggest one is taxes, and the most pernicious, if not always the largest annual, tax is inflation.” (08/09/26)
- Redistributing Wealth Means Redistributing Power to the State
Source: Cato Institute
by Paul Meany“The redistribution of wealth has once again become a central demand of American progressivism. Figures such as Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren argue that extreme concentrations of wealth should not merely be taxed to finance government programs but actively reduced through policies such as annual wealth taxes. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Zohran Mamdani have advanced similar arguments in favor of shifting resources from the wealthy toward public services, income supports, and social programs. Behind these proposals lies a broader moral claim: the state is justified in redistributing concentrations of private wealth for public purposes. The deepest objection to these policies is not economic but political and moral.” (08/07/26)
https://www.cato.org/blog/when-government-redistributes-wealth-it-redistributes-power
- Will The Two Cults Finally Fall?
Source: The Weekly Dish
by Andrew Sullivan“The cult of Trump and the cult of wokeness are taking huge hits from reality.” (08/07/26)
https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/will-the-two-cults-finally-fall-854
- The rise or fail of middle powers will determine Middle East peace
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Gabrielle Rifkind & Tom Pickering“For more than two decades, endless wars have destabilized the Middle East, creating huge amounts of human suffering, displacement and trauma. The region is exhausted, with little faith in the possibility of peace and few structures to enable it. The region is now at an inflection point; it can continue endless violence or undertake serious mediation and conflict resolution. The war with Iran has exposed the limits of U.S. military power, leaving only one practical option on the table: pursuing negotiations that recognize the balance of power in the region and the security concerns of all parties. This requires very careful engagement and mediation.” (08/07/26)
- “Lie to People Who Want to be Lied to”: How to Make a Political Fortune as a Far-Left Democrat
Source: Jonathan Turley
by Jonathan Turley“A financial journalist once offered simple advice: ‘Lie to people who want to be lied to, and you’ll get rich … Tell the truth to those who want to be lied to, and you’ll go broke.’ That axiom appears to have been taken to heart by radical Democratic candidates who this week issued transparent denials of past outrageous comments. Their calculus is clearly that the last thing that voters want to hear is the truth about their past views. Certain cultural touchstones are considered inviolate in some states, such as beef in Texas. … Texas Democratic Senatorial candidate James Talarico was roasted after a video surfaced of his calling to reduce meat consumption and ‘I am proud to say that our campaign has officially become a non-meat campaign. We are only buying vegan products from our local vegan businesses’.” (08/08/26)
- Nationalisation as a money sink
Source: Adam Smith Institute
by Tim Worstall“Much can be said – and we’ve said much of it over the decades – about nationalisation. How taking an organisation out of the bracing rigour of competitive markets and into the sloth of the bureaucracy tends not to increase efficiency. Say and as an example. Or that government never will invest for the long term as there’s always some more immediate purchase of votes to be done with whatever funds might be available. But just to nod to one more point: ‘At the same time, British Steel’s physical assets – including property, plant and equipment – have been deemed largely worthless after an audit review.’ … Two billion, plus or minus a bit of change, to buy something worth nothing. On the basis, we assume, that some still have the hots for the sort of industry where manly men do manly things in girt big factories.” (08/08/26)
https://www.adamsmith.org/blog/nationalisation-as-a-money-sink
- How to Defend Billionaires Stupidly …
Source: Center for a Stateless Society
by Kevin Carson“Since this seems to be go-time for defending billionaires, you might as well jump on the bandwagon, too. I can’t guarantee you’ll get picked up by The Atlantic and appear alongside the Jonathans Rauch, Chait, and Haidt, or Ross Douthat — but it’s worth a shot. That’s why I’ve gone through an enormous body of hand-wringing literature by some of the most irritating people alive, scanned it for the points they share in common, and compiled this list of helpful hints for would-be bootlickers.” (08/08/26)
- The power of honesty in AI research
Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff“As the global race to create the most advanced artificial intelligence continues to heat up, the list of concerns about AI’s impact – from the wiping out of jobs to its potential to make planet-altering decisions without human intervention – grows long. Nations are rushing to decide which values to impose on what could be the 21st century’s greatest mold-breaking technology. First, AI’s creators themselves must decide whether to abide by one key value: honesty. Or rather, the potency of honesty to bring creativity and, yes, the highest intelligence, to AI. For too many AI firms, building a frontier model by imitating a rival’s training data, explanations, and reasoning has been the norm. This style of theft, known as distillation, is often driven by impatience, fear of competitive failure, or doubts about one’s own ingenuity.” (08/07/26)
https://www.csmonitor.com/Editorials/the-monitors-view/2026/0807/The-power-of-honesty-in-AI-research
- The “Affordability” Agenda That Taxes Your Dinner
Source: Reason
by C Jarrett Dieterle“Last month, as part of its 2027 budget, the D.C. Council approved a 20-cent fee on carrier-for-hire delivery services. While the fee applies to the delivery of a broad array of household goods, it has been primarily billed as a tax on food delivery, which provides a lucrative source of potential revenue for the District. D.C.’s new delivery tax is merely the latest example of governments targeting food with stealth tax increases in an effort to enhance government coffers. While the strategy may be tempting as a revenue grab, the losers are everyday Americans who are simply looking for a politician that actually can deliver on an affordability agenda.” (08/08/26)
https://reason.com/2026/08/08/the-affordability-agenda-that-taxes-your-dinner/
- Stop Blaming the Climate for Wildfires We Can Prevent
Source: Town Hall
by Frank Lasee“As wildfires ravage southwestern France this July, forcing more than 220,000 people from their homes in the Gironde region near Bordeaux and burning some 42,000 hectares (162 sq. miles) of forest, the familiar refrain returns: climate change is to blame. France is now enduring its worst fire season on record. Extreme heat and drought clearly worsen conditions. But blaming climate alone hides more immediate, controllable causes: human ignition, fuel buildup, and forest management choices that turn landscapes into tinderboxes. French authorities have detained well over 160 people since early July for suspected arson or reckless fire-starting. Officials say nine in 10 fires have human origins, whether deliberate or careless, from discarded cigarettes to illegal machinery and fireworks. … Matches and carelessness light most fires. Weather merely fans them.” (08/08/26)
- Smart Enough to Be Wrong
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Lucio Saverio Eastman“Overall, progressives may seem very ‘smart’ from the perspective of status quo credentialism. But they tend to lack experience where it matters most: history, economics, objectivity, incentives, genetics, unintended consequences, moral hierarchy. The institutional progressive culture’s ideology is not a healthy path to governance. It’s the path we’ve seen so prevalent in today’s popular social hierarchy. A path full of loyalty tests, state machinery and ultimately, unbridled tyranny. History supplies the repeating and rhyming examples, but it is easily and sometimes wilfully forgotten.” (08/08/26)
- Who Is “Authentically Working Class?”
Source: Common Dreams
by Robert Jensen“Most politicians pledge to work for the working class, or sometimes for working families, a less Marxist-sounding label. Meanwhile, scholars struggle to define the category. I won’t assess the political posturing or adjudicate definitional disputes, but my work experience (spanning six decades and a wide variety of jobs) illustrates why the claims of working-class authenticity that are prized in today’s politics are so fraught. Once upon a time, the working class was understood as people in capitalist economies who don’t own the means of production and must sell their labor to owners. But as economies grew more complex, anomalies piled up. What about managers who aren’t owners but make lots of money doing the bidding of owners? What about technical employees whose specialized skills give them bargaining power? What about small-business owners of modest means who hire employees?” (08/08/26)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/who-is-the-working-class
- The $20 Burrito And The True Cause Of Inflation
Source: Karl Dickey’s Freedom Vanguard
by Karl Dickey“As Ryan Bourne at the Cato Institute points out, consumer prices rose roughly 30-40% over the last six years. This price inflation is directly related to government money printing and excessive federal spending. Politicians argue about delivery apps to distract voters from bad monetary policy. The bottom line is that sound money and minimal state interference protect our bank accounts and keep inflation at bay.” (08/08/26)
https://palmbeachexaminer.substack.com/p/the-20-burrito-and-the-true-cause
- The Value of the Threat of Grade Retention
Source: Show-Me Institute
by Cory Koedel“As we look ahead to Missouri’s 2027 legislative session, literacy reform is likely to be one of the top education issues. States like Mississippi and Louisiana have surged past Missouri on national reading assessments, particularly in the early grades. While these states have adopted several important reforms, two have been central to their success: improving literacy instruction and requiring students to demonstrate reading proficiency before advancing beyond the third grade.” (08/07/26)
https://showmeinstitute.org/article/performance/the-value-of-the-threat-of-grade-retention/
- No munitions? No prob! Let’s lob Reflecting Pool liner at Iran instead.
Source: USA Today
by Rex Huppke“What America may lack in munitions, we presently make up for in chunks of failed Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool liner. The coatings sprayed on the nearly 70,000 square feet of the pool’s surface are called Rhino 406 and Pipeliner 5000, which sound tough, though apparently not tough enough to withstand water, as the coatings swiftly began to come apart after the pool was refilled. Regardless, I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of a hunk of Rhino 406 or Pipeliner 5000 fired from naval artillery or dropped from a B-52 bomber. It’s possible that discarded pool liner warfare is the thing that will break Iran.” (08/07/26)
- Mamdani’s faux African accent as telling as it is bizarre
Source: Fox News Forum
by David Marcus“In a resurfaced 2016 interview, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks for the entire time in an African/South Asian accent that sounds like a mix between Trevor Noah and Apu from ‘The Simpsons’. It is absolutely bizarre, but it is also telling. At the time, he was promoting a Disney movie that he had worked on as a dance advisor, one of the few actual jobs hizzoner has ever held. His signature smile is on display, but when he opens his lips, he sounds like someone we have never heard. In a sing-songy voice, he decries how in Africa everybody dances, but in New York the men ‘just grind’ but don’t dance. It is a performance entirely in character.” (08/08/26)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/david-marcus-mamdanis-faux-african-accent-telling-bizarre
- What The Odyssey Teaches About Restraining Power
Source: Independent Institute
by Daniel Sánchez-Piñol“In a film that runs nearly three hours, perhaps its most important political lesson is delivered in just a few minutes. Before sailing past the island of the Sirens, Odysseus learns that their irresistible song is not a gift of wisdom but a deadly trap. Sailors who succumb to its enchanting melody steer their ships toward the rocks, where they meet their destruction. Odysseus wants to hear the legendary song without falling victim to it. To accomplish this seemingly impossible task, he devises what economists recognize as an ingenious plan. He orders his crew to plug their ears with beeswax so they cannot hear the Sirens’ voices. He then commands them to tie him securely to the ship’s mast and not to release him under any circumstances until the danger has passed.” (08/07/26)
https://www.independent.org/article/2026/08/07/odyssey-teaches-restraining-power/
- When Rational Individual Choices Produce Collective Waste
Source: The Daily Economy
by Harshit Singh & Sarika Kumari“Auniversity degree once distinguished its holder precisely because few people had one. As degrees spread, employers began demanding them as a baseline, and today many jobs that historically required a high-school education demand a bachelor’s degree, not because the work grew more complex, but because the signal became an entry fee. Everyone pays more; nobody stands out. That sentence describes far more of modern life than credentials.” (08/07/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/when-rational-individual-choices-produce-collective-waste/
- Your privacy rights don’t disappear at the border
Source: Washington Post
by Mike Fox“Those who travel internationally know the routine. Whether at an airport terminal or a land border crossing, returning home means having your bags scanned to ensure you aren’t bringing contraband, illicit drugs or invasive species onto U.S. soil. But what happens when the government demands access to your phone? A smartphone is fundamentally different from a suitcase. It’s not merely a container for physical goods; it’s a digital repository of our lives. It holds our private thoughts, political expressions, digital calendars, personal photos, contact lists, shopping habits, credit card numbers and travel logs. Yet U.S. customs officers routinely assert the authority to demand passcodes and search these digital life-capsules without a warrant — and often without a shred of reasonable suspicion to believe a crime has been committed.” (08/07/26)
- Dems’ Dilemma, From the Mountains to the Prairies
Source: The American Prospect
by Robert Kuttner“On Tuesday, Julian Beaudion, the Democratic Senate nominee challenging South Dakota Republican incumbent Mike Rounds, dropped out in favor of independent Brian Bengs. This followed similar actions in Idaho and Nebraska. In Idaho last week, Democratic nominee David Roth stood aside in favor of Todd Achilles, a former Democratic state legislator and an Army veteran, who is running as an independent against Republican Sen. Jim Risch. Both Bengs and Achilles are long shots. Bengs was trounced when he ran as a Democrat against John Thune in 2022. And Idaho, one of the nation’s most Republican states, last sent a Democrat to the Senate, Frank Church, in 1974. Church was defeated in the 1980 GOP landslide, as was South Dakota’s George McGovern.” (08/07/26)
https://prospect.org/2026/08/07/dems-dilemma-from-mountains-to-prairies/
- You Cannot Outsource Life: Severance and Wild Problems
Source: EconLog
by Joy Buchanan“In Severance, employees of the evil corporation Lumon Industries undergo a procedure that divides their consciousness in two. The ‘outie’ enjoys weekends and a paycheck but remembers nothing of work. The ‘innie’ performs the work but knows nothing of family or life outside the office. Severance is not merely an action thriller, although the ‘innie’ characters occasionally sneak or fight their way through the literal prison of Lumon. The philosophical dilemma presented in the show is that the characters’ free selves might be tempted to intentionally imprison parts of their lives that cause pain.” (08/07/26)
- Is the Left Capturing “America First?”
Source: The American Conservative
by Jack Hunter“This is not a column about whether a socialist Democrat is preferable to a neocon-flavored Republican. This is not a column about whether El-Sayed’s hard left politics might make him easier for a Republican to beat in Michigan’s general election. It is not about whether this Democrat possibly becoming the first Muslim-American senator might be a help or hindrance for him in his state. It is not even about whether Trump’s record-low approval ratings have now opened up the electoral doors for a crop of socialist candidates who might have never seen daylight otherwise but are now having a moment. It is about whether El-Sayed or Rogers is more ‘America First.'” (08/07/26)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/is-the-left-capturing-america-first/
- How Scottish Dissent Built American Liberty
Source: Law & Liberty
by DG Hart“Presbyterians played a large role in teaching North America the value of political independence.” (08/07/26)
https://lawliberty.org/how-scottish-dissent-built-american-liberty/
- Our children are failed by an education system that doesn’t care, and teacher unions are to blame
Source: New York Post
by Jennifer Weber & Danyela Souza Egorov“New York spends more per student than any state in the nation. Yet fewer than half off of its third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students scored proficiently on the English Language Arts exam, according to the preliminary data released this week. Just 43% of third-graders, 48% of fourth-graders and 43% of fifth-graders scored proficient in ELA. The biggest drop was seen in fifth grade, a 14-point decrease from the 2024-25 school year. Third-graders showed an 11-point drop. This is what happens when teacher unions get their way. Standards are lowered. No consequences for bad schools or bad instructors. And our children? Failed by a system that doesn’t care. As of 2019, state test scores would no longer play a role in teacher evaluations. By 2024, nor would any measure of whether students learned at all.” (08/08/26)
- Socialism Is Anti-Social
Source: Free Association
by Sheldon Richman“British individualist Auberon Herbert (1838-1907) minced no words when he spoke against socialism. After demolishing the notion that a ‘social entity’ exists separately from the individuals who comprise it, he concluded his debate with J. A. Hobson by writing something that today’s socialists might ponder. He began with the bluntest of assertions: ‘The truth is, that the socialist, unknown to himself, is the most antisocial of all human beings, and, if he had his way, would render all true social action impossible.’ Could he back that charge up? Let’s see.” (08/07/26)
https://sheldonrichman.substack.com/p/tgif-auberon-herbert-individualist
- The Declaration and Dinesh D’Souza’s “Revisionist History”
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Joshua Mawhorter“Mainstream conservatives often view themselves as sworn enemies of ‘revisionist history,’ being against books like Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States. Doubtless, conservative author, commentator, and filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza would also describe himself as an enemy of ‘revisionist history.’ For example, in promotion of one of his films, D’Souza appeared on the Rush Limbaugh show where the headline read: ‘Rush Limbaugh Show: Dinesh D’Souza Debunks Liberal Revisionist History.’ Ironically and unfortunately, when it comes to the Declaration of Independence, D’Souza is a perpetrator and promoter of bad revisionist history.” (08/07/26)
https://mises.org/mises-wire/declaration-and-dinesh-dsouzas-revisionist-history
- Unattended Baggage, episode 351
Source: Unattended Baggage
“Civilization version 2.0?” (08/08/26)
https://unattendedbaggage.substack.com/p/episode-351-civilization-version
- The Fifth Column, episode 569
Source: The Fifth Column
“A Man of 1989 (w/ David Frum).” (08/07/26)
- The Dispatch Podcast, 08/07/26
Source: The Dispatch
“Should MAGA Expect Representation in the Mainstream Media?” (08/07/26)
https://thedispatch.com/podcast/dispatch-podcast/should-mainstream-media-platform-maga-thinkers/
- Ron Paul Liberty Report, 08/07/26
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
“Gavin Newsom Says Trump Is A Socialist — Is He Right?” (08/07/26)
- Parallax Views w/ JG Michael, 08/07/26
Source: Parallax Views w/ JG Michael
“El-Sayed Wins, AIPAC Losing Its Grip?, the Gaza Board of Peace Grift, & More w/ Richard Silverstein.” (08/07/26)
- So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, 08/07/26
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
“Legendary lawyer Michael Tigar on juries, free speech, and the trial of John Peter Zenger.” (08/07/26)
- Fountainhead Forum, episode 476
Source: Fountainhead Forum
“Addison Patrick on running for Jacksonville (FL, USA) city council at-large.” (08/07/26)
- The Climate Realism Show, episode 211
Source: Heartland Institute
“The Muppets Mouth Climate Propaganda.” (08/07/26)
- Politicks, 08/07/26
Source: Lions of Liberty
“The New King of Academic Fraud.” (08/07/26)